Officials prepare for first anniversary of Patrick rail plan

Monday

Apr 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMApr 28, 2008 at 7:57 AM

Paper may be the traditional first anniversary present, but when it comes to the proposed commuter rail extension, SouthCoast residents would probably be happier with rail cars and a quicker trip to Boston.

Will Richmond

Paper may be the traditional first anniversary present, but when it comes to the proposed commuter rail extension, SouthCoast residents would probably be happier with rail cars and a quicker trip to Boston.

Regional and state officials are set to celebrate the first anniversary of Gov. Deval Patrick’s "South Coast Rail: A Plan for Action," which he announced during a press conference packed with the region’s dignitaries at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth last fall.

But while the release of the plan put the return of commuter rail in the region back on track, the sound of rail cars is still faint.

During the first year, rail planning officials, led by Kristina Egan, who was named project manager in May 2007, have identified more than 60 possible methods to link the SouthCoast to Boston. The process of winnowing the options will come to an end during Wednesday’s anniversary celebration, when Egan said Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and Public Works Bernard Cohen will announce the final list of alternatives advancing to the project’s second phase.

The anniversary celebration will take place Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the UMass Dartmouth’s Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center, 151 Martine St.
Along with Cohen’s announcement, Egan said the celebration will include Mayor Robert Correia, who is serving as moderator for the event, and former New Bedford Mayor John Bullard, who will be master of ceremonies.

Over the past year, Egan and consultants from Goody Clancy, a planning and design firm based in Massachusetts, have held a number of public meetings to gain input on which methods would best connect the two regions. The list of options has been pared from 65 to 10 during that time.

Egan was tight-lipped Friday about how many options will remain following Cohen’s announcement. But throughout the first year of the process, audiences have been told the goal is to have somewhere from six to 10 possibilities move on to the environmental review phase.

Along with the whittling down of potential options, Egan said the first year has also been marked by an increased focus on the civic engagement process and the creation of the smart growth corridor plan.

Egan said both actions have allowed the public to be involved in the planning process and have a say on how their communities will be impacted by the rail project.

She said the methods used to advance the project have made the first year successful.

“I’d say we’ve moved ahead aggressively,” Egan said. “We’re on budget and on schedule and I’m proud of that. We’ve done every thing as transparent and in the public as possible and done everything we can to talk with all the stakeholders involved.”

Along with spearheading the project, Egan has helped to lead efforts to coordinate with nine federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She has also been a regular at monthly meetings held by the Southeastern Massachusetts Commuter Rail Task Force to hear the input of members from all corners of the region.

Despite the progress, Egan says she knows plans to connect the SouthCoast and Boston have been derailed in the past, causing some to wonder if they'll ever see rail cars pull into Fall River.

With that in mind, she is asking the public to stay involved.

“Bear with us,” Egan said. “We’ve done everything we’ve said we would do and more, and we’re counting on the people in the region to help us make this happen.”

E-mail Will Richmond at wrichmond@heraldnews.com.

The 10 options for connecting the SouthCoast to Boston via commuter rail

Commuter rail to South Station via Attleboro

Electrified commuter rail to South Station via Attleboro

Diesel Multiple Unit Commuter Rail to Attleboro Station

Commuter Rail to South Station via Middleborough line without Old Colony Mainline Improvements

Commuter rail to South Station via the Middleborough line

Commuter rail to South Station via Attleboro and Middleborough

Commuter rail to South Station via Stoughton

Electrified commuter rail to South Station via Stoughton

Express Bus in dedicated lane to South Station via Route 24, Route 128 and the Southeast Expressway HOV Lane

Enhanced Bus Service on Existing Private Carrier Routes

Commuter rail by the numbers

$1.4 billion — expected total cost

$2 million — amount earmarked for a study on Land Use and Economic Development along the rail corridor

$17.2 million — amount committed by the state during the first year

65 — number of alternatives first considered by rail planners

10 — number of alternatives now on the table

15,000 — number of jobs Gov. Deval Patrick said will be created along the rail corridor

53 minutes — shortest amount of time possible based on preliminary studies to get to Boston (via Electrified commuter rail to South Station via Stoughton)

97 minutes — longest amount of time based on preliminary studies to get to Boston (via Diesel Multiple Unit Commuter Rail to Attleboro Station)